Activity survey in retail: increasing efficiency, improving customer experience
The Challenge
Retail is facing increasing challenges. Rising procurement and energy costs are putting companies under pressure, while customer expectations continue to grow. Competition from online providers is intensifying, and high price transparency makes differentiation increasingly difficult. At the same time, destabilised international supply chains complicate sourcing, and the ongoing shortage of skilled workers makes workforce planning more demanding.
These developments require continuous process optimisation. Efficiency gains and cost control are becoming key priorities, while new technological solutions – such as automated forecasting & replenishment, seamless checkout, or scan & go – are being increasingly deployed. Despite these advances in automation, shop-floor employees remain a cornerstone of brick-and-mortar retail. A well-considered staffing strategy and optimised workflows are therefore essential to ensure long-term success.
"You can't manage what you can't measure." – Peter Drucker
Despite increasing digitalisation, many key performance indicators in retail remain difficult to measure. Yet they are essential for targeted development of shop concepts and for evaluating the introduction of new processes or technologies. Sound decisions can only be made on the basis of reliable data.
Flybridge supports companies in designing and collecting tailor-made metrics and delivers valuable insights for the ongoing development of retail environments.
The Solution
A systematic approach is essential for the successful execution of an activity survey. We follow the steps outlined below as a guideline:
- Definition of relevant metrics
- Determination of the sample (Which shops should be analysed?)
- Planning of survey days
- Execution of data collection
- Evaluation and preparation of customer-specific results
- Derivation of actionable recommendations
- Discussion of findings
Special attention should be given to the development of the metrics. A dialogue that combines methodological precision with deep industry understanding forms the foundation. Potential metrics include, for example, the conversion rate and cross-selling success in sales conversations, average processing time for customer enquiries, or customer waiting time behaviour. The workload and daily task profiles of shop consultants also offer valuable insights. Additionally, spatial zone analysis can provide useful information about which areas of the shop are used most effectively and where there is room for improvement.
For continuous optimisation, follow-up surveys are recommended. These allow for the analysis of seasonal effects, year-over-year comparisons, and trends.
The Added Value
The insights gained provide a valuable basis for:
- Evaluating and improving shop layout
- Staff training
- Optimising in-store processes
- Enhancing the customer experience
- Increasing floor productivity
- Workforce planning
One particularly important aspect is the improvement of the customer experience. Shorter waiting times, more efficient consultations, and optimised processes all contribute to a better customer journey – which in turn increases customer satisfaction.
Through activity surveys, we provide data-driven answers to the real questions of everyday retail and make them measurable. After all, only what can be measured can be managed successfully.
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